


Hey Piano Man

by rasrafmek



Category: NU'EST, Produce 101 (TV)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Non-Idol AU, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-15
Updated: 2018-04-15
Packaged: 2019-04-23 06:26:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14326554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rasrafmek/pseuds/rasrafmek
Summary: They agree on 10 sessions, 2 hours each, every Wednesday evening. Minhyun leaves the place with a smile–piano lessons for a reasonable rate with an attractive teacher seemed like a worthwhile investment.(Or: Non-idol AU with Minhyun as a typical office worker taking piano lessons from Dongho.)





	Hey Piano Man

**Author's Note:**

  * For [akanemnida](https://archiveofourown.org/users/akanemnida/gifts).



> Happy birthday akane! <3

 

Minhyun  is waiting for the next bus when an advertisement catches his eye.

 

_ Piano lessons, W30,000 per session. Call 09XX-XXX-XXXX. _

 

Minhyun chuckles at how straight to the point the advertisement was–plain black text on a yellow background, no images. But it had caught his attention, had served its purpose.

 

He had always wanted to learn how to play the piano. Music  had been his first love, but Minhyun had always listened to reason more than  to his passions. He traded songs for textbooks, had given up the possibility of becoming an idol singer for a stable career in the finance sector. While he never regretted his decision, it was something he thought about quite often.

 

In addition, the rate posted is reasonable. He had inquired about lessons in the past, but most teachers asked for rates double the amount that is posted in this advertisement.

 

He finds himself saving the number on his phone. 

  
  
  


The piano teacher replied to his inquiry with an address and an offer of a free trial session. The specified location was conveniently located between his workplace and home. 

 

And so on Wednesday, he leaves work relatively early, and heads to the address.

 

He rings the doorbell to a unit located in a modest apartment block, and finds himself ushered into the room by a man who looks about his age. 

 

If Minhyun were to be honest, the man in front of him looks more like an underground rapper than a classically trained pianist. There was something about the other man that seemed intimidating and brash. Perhaps it was because of the man’s wide frame and rough stubble, or more likely, it was the tattoo inked across his forearm that gave Minhyun this impression.

 

That  is not to say the man  is n’t attractive–he  is ruggedly handsome, and Minhyun tries hard not to gawk at him.

 

“You’re here for lessons, right? I’m Dongho, and you are?” Dongho asks with a smile that softens his features and erases any notions Minhyun had about him looking intimidating. He looks _adorable_.

 

“Hwang Minhyun. I’m here for the free trial,” he replies as he gives Dongho a firm handshake.

 

Before starting with the lesson, Dongho asks Minhyun a few questions–if he ha s any previous piano lessons (none), any previous music experience (none, unless belting out his favorite songs in the shower counted), and what he’d like to learn to play (TVXQ’s songs; at this Dongho chuckled). 

 

“Right this way,” Dongho says as he leads Minhyun to the piano at the corner of his unit’s living room. 

 

They sit down next to each other on the narrow piano bench, shoulders touching. Dongho’s fingers glide down the ivory keys as he demonstrates how to do a basic scale, and Minhyun  can’t help but think Dongho has beautiful hands. 

 

After pointing to the middle C key, Dongho instructs Minhyun to try pressing the piano keys. As Dongho holds Minhyun’s hand to correct the curvature of his hand, to make it as if he’s holding a ball,  and Minhyun feels the tips of his ears heat up.

 

He hopes Dongho doesn’t notice.

 

Dongho then teaches Minhyun the position of the notes on the keys and on the music sheet, and Minhyun takes in everything eagerly.

 

Two hours fly by quickly, and at the end of the free trial session, they agree on 10 sessions, 2 hours each, every Wednesday evening. Minhyun leaves the place with a smile–piano lessons for a reasonable rate with an  _ attractive  _ teacher seemed like a worthwhile investment.

 

Even after he gets home, he still feels the warmth of Dongho’s fingers lingering on his hand.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Minhyun starts getting ready to leave work five minutes before 5pm. He’s excited for the lesson; today is his 4th session, and he  is finally learning pieces that aren’t nursery rhymes. But more than that, he is eager to see Dongho again.

 

(Minhyun ha s given up on denying his crush on Dongho.)

 

Seongwoo passes by his cubicle, and upon seeing Minhyun stuff his belongings into his bag, he asks , “You go home early every Wednesday these days, what’s up? Got a date each week?”

 

Minhyun tries to ignore the cheeky grin on Seongwoo’s face. 

 

“No, I’ve signed up for piano lessons every Wednesday evening.”

 

At this, Seongwoo’s smile softens. 

 

“You’ve always wanted to learn to play the piano, right? Have fun!” Seongwoo says as he pats Minhyun on the back before heading back to his own cubicle.

  
  
  


Minhyun arrives at Dongho’s apartment 10 minutes before his designated lesson time. Dongho  is still in the middle of teaching another student–a young girl who couldn’t be older than 10, with her hair in pigtails and her feet dangling above the floor.  

 

“Oh, you’re early,” Dongho says upon noticing Minhyun’s arrival. 

 

“Yeah, I got off work early . D on’t mind me,” Minhyun replies as he sits down on a nearby couch. 

 

Dongho nudges the girl to continue playing her piece, and he sings along as she plays the notes to ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’. His voice resonates around the room–loud and powerful, but sweet. Minhyun sings along as well, his light falsetto harmonizing with Dongho’s voice perfectly.

 

At the end of her performance, he claps and tells her she did a great job. With a giggle, she gives him a high five in return. 

 

Minhyun finds himself smiling fondly at the scene before him.

 

* * *

 

It had become a habit of sorts for Minhyun to linger around Dongho’s apartment for an hour or so after his lessons ended , since Dongho did not have any students after him. They would chat about anything under the sun as Dongho poured tea for Minhyun and coffee for himself. 

 

Talking to Dongho was comfortable–no need for any pretenses, unlike the stiff conversations he had at work. 

 

It was through these hour-long conversations that Minhyun realizes his favorite thing about Dongho  is his laugh. Not his pretty brown eyes, nor his long, lithe fingers, nor his broad shoulders. Though he really liked those aspects too, and they had been the reason for his  _ big _ fat crush in the first place. 

 

Dongho’s laugh, which  is more of a bubbling  _ giggle _ ,  is cute and tugged at Minhyun’s heart every time. 

 

While he  does not have the courage to confess his crush on Dongho (on top of it being unprofessional–they were technically teacher and student, after all), at the very least Dongho was his friend. 

 

Minhyun  is glad to take what he  can get.

 

* * *

 

By his 7th week of piano lessons, Minhyun could sight-read simple songs, and he was trying to learn a few intermediate pieces. Pachelbel’s Canon in D and Beethoven’s  Für Elise were challenging , but fun. Though he can only play them at half the speed they were meant to be played, he still felt amazed every time he played them,  and couldn’t believe that his own fingers could play music.

 

His quick progress  has been partly because since he started taking lessons, he had been practicing everyday on his newly bought keyboard. Striking the keys  have given him a creative outlet, and  have helped him destress after work.

But perhaps the main reason  is that Dongho  is a good teacher. 

 

Dongho would play the same notes an octave higher to guide Minhyun through the beat of the song, and would gently correct any wrong notes. 

 

Above all, Dongho  had been generous with his compliments–freely saying “Minhyun-ah, that was great!” with a smile and a giggle that made Minhyun’s heart beat faster than the metronome’s ticking.

 

Dongho’s praises made Minhyun all the more motivated to learn.

 

* * *

 

“You learned a lot in 10 weeks, it’s really impressive!” Dongho says with a bright smile,  and his brown eyes practically twinkling.

 

“You’re a really good teacher,” Minhyun says with a light shrug. “Can I sign up for more lessons?”

 

He was really enjoying learning to play the piano. And he had to admit, he wanted a reason to see Dongho more.

 

“I only started offering lessons to get some quick cash so  that I can buy a new piano.” At this, Dongho lightly taps the lid of his piano. “My old one was falling apart.”

 

“Oh.” Minhyun tries to hide the disappointment from his face, but to no avail. The small smile on his lips is forced.

 

“But I can continue teaching you, no charge,” Dongho says quietly, upon seeing Minhyun’s crestfallen expression. “Just drop by at our usual lesson time, I’ll keep my Wednesday evenings open for you.”

 

“How about I pay you back by treating you to dinner,” Minhyun manages to say out loud. 

 

Logic and reason be damned, it seemed as good a time as any to finally confess to the object of his ten week-long crush.

 

“Are you asking me out, Minhyun-ah?” Dongho asks with a hearty laugh and a hopeful gaze. 

 

Minhyun nods. “I like you,” Minhyun manages to spit out, his ears bright red. 

 

“Well, that makes both of us,” Dongho replies with a shy smile, as he reaches for Minhyun’s hands.  

 

Minhyun soon realizes the only thing in the world better than hearing Dongho’s laugh was the feeling of Dongho’s lips on his.

  
  
  
  


(Later that night, Minhyun gets to know the feeling of Dongho’s fingers on his skin. It turns out to be  _ way _ better than he imagined.)

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I can't write smut lol otherwise I'd have gone there. :)


End file.
